Dressed as Japanese Imperial Army soldiers, members of the China Unification Promotion Party yesterday demonstrated outside Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) headquarters in Taipei, accusing the DPP of “brainwashing” students with pro-Japan curricula.
“We want to thank the DPP for educating the children in Taiwan to love our Empire of Japan. This is something that our own Japanese kids would not do, and something we could not force the Taiwanese to do in our 50 years of Japanizing education,” a man dressed up as a Japanese Imperial Army commander said through a loudspeaker, with a Japanese accent. “Therefore, we are here to present our certificate of gratitude to the DPP today.”
Holding a “certificate of gratitude,” the protesters declared that they would sing a Japanese military song before entering the building, but what they sang instead was the Japanese children’s song Momotaro-san, or “The Peach Boy,” eliciting laughter from both members of the media and DPP staff.
Photo: CNA
However, when the DPP declined to accept the certificate, the protesters attempted to force their way in, and briefly clashed with the police.
“What you are doing now is in violation of the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法). If you try to force your way into the building again, we will arrest you,” Zhongzheng First Precinct Chief Chang Chi-wen (張奇文) said through a loudspeaker.
Former gang leader and China Unification Promotion Party chairman Chang An-le (張安樂) — better known by his Bamboo Union nickname “White Wolf” — later appeared to talk to the media about the demonstration.
“The protesters dressed up in Japanese Imperial Army uniforms to mock the education under former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) and the DPP, which ‘poisoned’ the students with pro-Japan curricula,” Chang said. “And this is why the curriculum guidelines must be changed.”
Costa Rica sent a group of intelligence officials to Taiwan for a short-term training program, the first time the Central American country has done so since the countries ended official diplomatic relations in 2007, a Costa Rican media outlet reported last week. Five officials from the Costa Rican Directorate of Intelligence and Security last month spent 23 days in Taipei undergoing a series of training sessions focused on national security, La Nacion reported on Friday, quoting unnamed sources. The Costa Rican government has not confirmed the report. The Chinese embassy in Costa Rica protested the news, saying in a statement issued the same
Temperatures in New Taipei City’s Sindian District (新店) climbed past 37°C yesterday, as the Central Weather Administration (CWA) issued heat alerts for 16 municipalities, warning the public of intense heat expected across Taiwan. The hottest location in Taiwan was in Sindian, where the mercury reached 37.5°C at about 2pm, according to CWA data. Taipei’s Shilin District (士林) recorded a temperature of 37.4°C at noon, Taitung County’s Jinfeng Township (金峰) at 12:50 pm logged a temperature of 37.4°C and Miaoli County’s Toufen Township (頭份) reached 36.7°C at 11:40am, the CWA said. The weather agency yesterday issued a yellow level information notice for Taipei, New
Taiwan’s Liu Ming-i, right, who also goes by the name Ray Liu, poses with a Chinese Taipei flag after winning the gold medal in the men’s physique 170cm competition at the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation Asian Championship in Ajman, United Arab Emirates, yesterday.
CASE: Prosecutors have requested heavy sentences, citing a lack of remorse and the defendants’ role in ‘undermining the country’s democratic foundations’ Five people affiliated with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), including senior staff from the party’s Taipei branch, were indicted yesterday for allegedly forging thousands of signatures to recall two Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers. Those indicted include KMT Taipei chapter director Huang Lu Chin-ru (黃呂錦茹), secretary-general Chu Wen-ching (初文卿) and secretary Yao Fu-wen (姚富文), the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said in a news release. Prosecutors said the three were responsible for fabricating 5,211 signature forms — 2,537 related to the recall of DPP Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) and 2,674 for DPP Legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) — with forged entries accounting for